5/10/2013 4:50 AM PDT

Hulk Hogan is committing Internet genocide on his sex tape ... systematically seeking out and removing ALL copies of the XXX footage from the web, TMZ has learned.

Hulk recently obtained a temporary restraining order against Gawker Media, banning the website from displaying excerpts from his infamous sex tape with Bubba the Love Sponge's ex-wife.

Gawker agreed to remove the video -- at least for the time being -- and now, we've learned Hulk is trying use the restraining order to force every other website on the planet to remove the footage too.

To prove Hulk means business, we've obtained one of the letters sent by Hogan's attorney to TheDirty.com -- which posted screenshots of the sex footage several times last year -- and it's pretty aggressive.

1/3/2013 1:10 PM PST

EXCLUSIVE

Hulk Hogan is moving forward with his $100 million lawsuit against Gawker for posting his sex tape online ... TMZ has learned, the wrestling legend has refiled the case.

Hulk dismissed the lawsuit in federal court without prejudice last month, and refiled it in Florida state court -- where he's also currently suing his sex tape partner Heather Clem ... the ex-wife of radio personality Bubba the Love Sponge. Hulk claims Clem played a role in leaking the footage to the media.

Hulk's lawyer tells TMZ, Hulk dismissed the federal case in order to consolidate his claims against both Clem and Gawker ... i.e. to bring both cases under the same roof ... which ultimately means less paperwork and attorney's fees.

As we reported, Hulk sued Gawker last October for posting a minute-long clip of him doing the dirty with Clem ... a tape that was recorded more than 6 years ago.

Hulk also sued Bubba the Love Sponge for unspecified damages -- accusing him of leaking the footage to the media -- but that lawsuit was settled, and Bubba apologized on the air.

11/14/2012 2:55 PM PST

Breaking News

Hulk Hogan's sex tape will STAY ON THE INTERNET ... at least for the foreseeable future -- because a judge has just denied the wrestler's bid to yank it from the web ASAP.

You'll recall, Hulk sued Gawker for $100 million for publishing his sex tape -- and filed a preliminary motion demanding Gawker take the tape down immediately, while the case makes its way through the court system.

But today, a judge refused to order Gawker to do squat -- ruling Hulk failed to prove the website wasn't within its First Amendment rights to post the video in the first place.

Moreover, the judge wrote, "This is an example of where the proverbial 'cat is out of the bag'" ... i.e. everyone on the planet's already seen the tape, so it's too late to protect Hulk's privacy.

That said, the judge could still decide to order Gawker to remove the tape if Hulk were to win the case at the end of the day.

11/3/2012 5:00 AM PDT

EXCLUSIVE

Hulk Hogan has no right to sue Gawker for ruining his reputation by publishing parts of his sex tape ... because he had already admitted that he's a lying, cheating bastard ... this according to Gawker.

Gawker has filed a response to Hulk's $100,000,000 lawsuit against the website ... begging the judge to throw out the case because they had a journalistic right to publish the 1 minute 41 second clip.

In the docs, Gawker claims Hulk had already admitted he was an adulterer in a book he released in 2009 ... so the video couldn't have caused any more harm to his already sullied reputation.

Gawker also claims the website shouldn't be on the hook for invading Hulk's privacy because it didn't record the tape ... it just distributed a small amount of the footage, which it believed to be newsworthy because Hulk is a world famous celebrity.

Gawker also says it shouldn't have to reveal the identity of the person who leaked the footage to the website -- despite Hulk's demands -- citing laws that protect the news sources.

10/19/2012 4:30 AM PDT

EXCLUSIVE

Hulk Hogan isn't the only guy who was caught on tape with Bubba the Love Sponge's former wife ... TMZ has learned there are multiple tapes ... with multiple men ... in the same exact bed.

TMZ has seen three additional sex tapes featuring Heather Clem with other men -- shot while she was married to Bubba -- and in one of the tapes, she even walks up to the camera to double-check that it's recording.

In the footage, she tells her mystery partner -- neither Bubba nor Hulk -- "Is this thing recording? Okay, not that I don't trust you but I will get in trouble if it doesn't."

The insinuation -- Heather and Bubba had some kind of agreement in which Heather was allowed to screw other men ... as long as she recorded it.

As for the other two new tapes -- they were both shot in the exact same style as the Hulk tape ... in Bubba's bedroom with an overhead surveillance-type camera. It's unclear if the two men in those tapes knew if they were being recorded.

But as we previously reported, both Bubba AND Heather were aware of the surveillance camera set-up in the bedroom -- and were captured on tape joking about selling the Hogan footage for big money.

10/16/2012 6:09 AM PDT

Bubba the Love Sponge just went on his radio show ... and claimed Hulk Hogan may have played a role in the release of the sex tape ... despite several public denials.

During the show, Bubba made it clear ... he and Hulk are no longer best friends -- in fact, it sounds like they pretty much hate each other's guts.

At one point in the show, Bubba called Hulk a "self-centered" man who has delusionally convinced himself that Nick was innocent in that 2007 car crash, Brooke actually has talent and that Linda is "whore." Bubba actually defends Linda throughout the show.

Bubba never really denied having anything to do with the sex tape -- but said, "I'm gonna be honest with you, I have not seen the tape ... including me supposedly bragging and being a horse's ass."

We broke the story, there is footage of Bubba on the sex tape ... talking about selling the footage if he ever wanted to be rich enough to retire.

On the radio show, Bubba continued, "At the end of the day, I can't even comment on the validity ... [Hulk] could have had something to do with the leak of it,"

Bubba also touched on the fact that he let Hulk have sex with his then-wife Heather Clem -- saying they all consensually agreed to it and reminding Hulk, "Nobody put a gun to your head."

As we previously reported, Hulk is suing Bubba and Heather over the footage -- claiming they taped him without his consent.

10/15/2012 2:34 PM PDT

Breaking News

Hulk Hogan just announced ... he's suing for more than $100 MILLION over his leaked sex tape.

Hulk's attorney spoke at a news conference in Tampa moments ago, announcing two lawsuits filed today by the wrestler -- one against Bubba the Love Sponge and his ex-wife for illicitly recording Hulk without his permission, and another against Gawker for publishing the tape.

Hulk's attorney says the wrestler is seeking $100 MILLION in damages from Gawker stemming from the leaked footage. It's unclear what he's seeking from Bubba and Bubba's ex Heather Clem.

In the suit, obtained by TMZ, Hogan claims he "had a reasonable expectation of privacy in his consensual, intimate activities in a private bedroom and reasonably believed that his privacy was safe and protected."

10/9/2012 2:45 PM PDT

EXCLUSIVE

Hulk Hogan just called in to "TMZ Live" ... and was completely stunned when we told him about the footage of his BFF Bubba the Love Sponge plotting to profit off of his sex tape ... telling us, "I'm sick to my stomach right now."

Hogan says Bubba had adamantly denied having any knowledge about the sex tape ... and told Hulk he didn't know there was a camera capturing Hogan's X-rated session with his former wife Heather Clem.

Hulk says he had warned Bubba ... "If you had anything to do with this, that means we were never friends."

We broke the story ... Bubba appears at the very end of the sex tape, after Hogan had left the room, and told Heather, "If we ever did want to retire, all we'd have to do is use this footage."

Hulk says he is exploring all of his legal options -- and promises someone WILL PAY for recording and releasing the tape.

10/9/2012 2:00 PM PDT

Hulk Hogan's best friend, Bubba the Love Sponge, not only secretly videotaped Hulk having sex -- he bragged afterwards that the tape was a goldmine that could be the key to Bubba's retirement.

TMZ has seen the last few minutes of Hulk's leaked sex tape -- in which he bangs Bubba's wife Heather Clem. It's very clear -- Bubba was in on it. Moments after the deed is done and Hulk leaves, Bubba says to his wife ... "If we ever did want to retire, all we'd have to do is use this footage."

His wife shoots back, "You'd never do that." Bubba then tries to recover, saying, "I wouldn't do that, you'd be the biggest rat, you'd be dead."

The revelation is interesting ... considering Hulk went on the Howard Stern show TODAY and said he and Bubba are still good friends -- and sounded confident Bubba was NOT the culprit.

There's more, TMZ just broke the story ... Hulk is filing a criminal police report in FL and trying to HUNT DOWN whoever leaked the tape -- claiming he was filmed illegally.

10/9/2012 12:16 PM PDT

EXCLUSIVE

Hulk Hogan is turning to cops for help after his sex tape surfaced online last week -- seeking to file a criminal police report with his local PD in Florida ... in the hopes they'll be able to track down whoever leaked the footage ... TMZ has learned.

We've learned Hulk's attorney David R. Houston contacted the St. Petersburg PD this AM, claiming whoever made the tape committed a felony by unlawfully recording Hulk without his consent -- and whoever leaked it broke the law by unlawfully running that footage.

Hulk's hoping a police investigation will lead him to the culprit ... or culprits.

As we reported, Hulk has already fired off a cease-and-desist letter to Gawker, demanding the website remove the minute-long clip it posted, depicting Hulk having sex. So far, the website hasn't removed the footage.

Hulk told Howard Stern the tape was shot six years ago while he was still married to Linda Hogan, but separated. Hulk said the woman in the tape is radio host Bubba the Love Sponge's estranged wife Heather Clem ... and Bubba gave Hulk permission to bang her.